FIELD: protection of quantity produced items against counterfeiting. SUBSTANCE: method includes applying individual identification number on surfaces of labels or material strips, or surfaces of other kinds of media attached to items and/or to their packings and/or containers; this identification number is covered with protective film to make it invisible for easy reading destroyed to degree excluding unambiguous read-out upon removal of media carrying it or destroying of media. Item is authenticated by comparing read-out individual identification numbers with their copies stored in manufacturer s database and also by stating relative conformity of readout individual identification numbers of items, their packings, and/or containers with copies of these media also stored in manufacturer s database. Individual identification number has regular part defining ordinal number of lot of items manufactured to definite brand and irregular statistically random part nonrepeatable within one lot which is assigned to each item of lot by using random number generation method or random number table. EFFECT: enhanced reliability of item protection against counterfeit, facilitated procedure, reduced cost. 1 cl, 5 ex
